Cost Plus World Market: Affordable Kitchen Basics

World Market isn't a secret source by any means, but it's one we've used ourselves many times. It's the kind of place you go when you're stocking the kitchen in your first apartment…

…or you're having a party for 50 people and you need boxes of wine glasses on the cheap. Cost Plus originated on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco in the 1950s. (The name came from the store's policy of selling goods at a 10 percent markup over cost.) Today, it's a national chain with 260 stores and a big e-commerce site.

The quality is somewhere between IKEA and CB2 (depending on the item), but the style is much more traditional and they carry food and drink as well as decor. They stock a few large brands like Mrs. Meyers cleaning products and Boddington's beer, as well as their own World Market label. In addition to kitchenware, they're a good resource for inexpensive outdoor furniture, curtains, rugs, and pillows.